The present invention relates generally to hinge assemblies, and, more particularly, to a hinge assembly for hingedly connecting a cover to a housing.
Advancements in the field of radio electronics have permitted the introduction and commercialization of an ever-increasing array of radio communication apparatus. Advancements in electronic circuitry design have also permitted increased miniaturization of the electronic circuitry comprising such radio communication apparatus. As a result, an ever-increasing array of radio communication apparatus comprised of ever-smaller electronic circuitry has permitted such radio communication apparatus to be utilized more conveniently in an increased number of applications.
A radio transceiver, such as a radiotelephone utilized in a cellular, communication system, is one example of radio communication apparatus which has been miniaturized to be utilized conveniently in an increased number of applications. Additional efforts to miniaturize further the electronic circuitry of similar such radio transceivers, as well as other radio communication apparatus, are being made. Such further miniaturization of the radio transceivers will further increase the convenience of utilization of such apparatus, and will permit such apparatus to be utilized in further increased numbers of applications.
Pursuant to such efforts to miniaturize further the electronic circuitry of such radio transceivers (as well as other radio communication apparatus), size minimization of the electronic circuitry is a critical design goal during design of such circuitry.
Concomitant with the increased miniaturization of electronic circuitry is a corresponding reduction in the physical dimensions of the housings in which such electronic circuitry is housed as well as other mechanical structure associated therewith.
Initially, size reductions in the housing and associated mechanical structure was accomplished by simple, scale reduction of the dimensions of already-existing structures. However, beyond certain size reductions, such simple, scale reduction increasingly becomes impractical. Beyond a certain point, structural limitations of the materials comprising such structure cannot be reduced further without comprising the structural integrity thereof.
For instance, many radiotelephone constructions are of dimensions permitting their convenient hand-held carriage by a user and are commonly referred to as portable telephones. Such radiotelephone constructions typically include a telephonic keypad disposed upon a face surface thereof to permit the initiation of telephonic communication by depressing a desired sequence of keys of the keypad. The particular sequence of keys to be depressed is determined by the telephone number desired to be dialed. The keypad also frequently includes other keys utilized for other purposes including, for example, an actuation key for turning-on or turning-off the radiotelephone.
To prevent unintentional actuation of any of the keys of the radiotelephone, several portable radiotelephone constructions include a cover which may be positioned to cover the keypad when the radiotelephone is not in use. Such radiotelephone constructions connect the cover to the radiotelephone housing in a hinged connection allowing rotation about such hinged connection to position the cover overtop the keypad of the radiotelephone, or, alternately, to uncover the keypad to permit access thereto by a user. When the radiotelephone construction is relatively large, a hinge assembly forming such hinged connection may be easily implemented.
However, with the ongoing efforts to reduce the physical dimensions of the housing and other related mechanical structure of the radiotelephone, there is a need for a hinge assembly of minimum physical dimensions which permits hinged connection of the keypad cover to the housing.
Such a hinge assembly of minimum physical dimensions must also be of simple construction to permit ease of assembly. Preferably, such hinge assembly construction would further be of a design permitting assembly thereof in an assembly line-like process by robotic or other automated apparatus.
What is needed, therefore, is a hinge assembly of minimal physical dimensions which may be easily assembled to facilitate assemblage thereof by automated apparatus.